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Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity reached unprecedented heights in the first half of 2026, surging to a record total value of $2.84 trillion. According to data compiled by Nikkei Asia, this figure eclipses the previous first-half record set during the pandemic-era boom of 2021.
Moonshot AI, the Beijing-based maker of the Kimi K3 model, confirmed Tuesday that it has closed a $3.5 billion financing round at a $35 billion post-money valuation, more than triple its $4.3 billion valuation from eight months ago, and far above the $1 billion to $2 billion it originally set out to raise, Bloomberg reported.…
Washington’s new AI Spark initiative to promote American artificial intelligence systems in Southeast Asia’s public services and digital infrastructure is seen as a move to counter the region’s deepening partnerships with Chinese firms in the deployment of the technology, according to analysts cited by the South China Morning Post.
Fast-growing new growth drivers, including AI-related industries, are fueling sustained growth in China’s industrial profits, as the country’s shift toward innovation-driven development gathers momentum.
Micron Technology’s stock has shed more than 30% from its all-time high in the weeks since it reported the most impressive quarterly results in its 47-year history, a paradox that became harder to explain on Wednesday morning, when a semiconductor analyst told CNBC that the Chinese chipmaker driving the selloff is still two to three…
China’s artificial intelligence video generation sector is experiencing an unprecedented influx of capital. According to KuCoin/MarsBit, in just the first three weeks of July 2026, five major companies announced massive funding rounds, collectively securing over RMB 26.2 billion (approximately $3.6 billion).
China is executing a sophisticated new geopolitical strategy dubbed “token diplomacy,” leveraging its rapidly advancing open-source artificial intelligence models to build influence and technological reliance across the Global South.
The rapid rise of AI-generated content in China has spawned a novel and deeply revealing business model: the face rental economy.
Chinese artificial intelligence developers, long celebrated for their commitment to open-source distribution, may soon begin charging cloud platforms commercial licensing fees to host their open-weight models.
The global artificial intelligence landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Over the past three months, China’s open-source AI ecosystem has delivered three consecutive breakthroughs that directly target the core advantages long held by U.S. closed-source models: pricing, long-task capabilities, and model scale.
As the United States and China prepare for a highly anticipated summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump this September, Beijing is proactively drawing firm red lines regarding American sanctions on its artificial intelligence sector. Bloomberg Opinion reports that the diplomatic maneuvering comes amid growing U.S.
As the US and China compete for AI dominance, energy is emerging as the critical battleground, and China’s more integrated approach to power, land, and permitting may deliver a durable structural edge for domestic AI buildouts.
Wall Street is at record highs. Beijing is deflating asset bubbles.
Hong Kong’s exports surged 53.4% year-on-year in June to a record HK$641.1 billion (approximately US$81.7 billion), the sharpest monthly increase in 42 years, according to government data reported by the South China Morning Post.
The landscape of automation in China is undergoing a rapid evolution, moving beyond the traditional image of massive, isolated industrial robots toward a more integrated and intelligent future.
As China navigates a complex economic transition, moving away from its traditional reliance on real estate and debt-fueled infrastructure, Beijing is deploying a powerful new strategy to finance its technological ambitions.
Chinese investors are increasingly turning to decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges to gain exposure to the booming artificial intelligence sector, bypassing strict domestic regulations and international capital controls.
China’s export economy is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting away from its traditional reliance on low-cost manufactured goods and toward high-value technology products, specifically those driving the global artificial intelligence boom.
China has officially designated artificial intelligence, robotics, and innovative pharmaceuticals as its “next new three” strategic industries, signaling a major shift in the country’s economic and export strategy.
Beijing has become China’s most consequential venture capitalist, and the numbers are striking. According to data from Zerone cited by the South China Morning Post, government-linked investors went from fewer than 10 AI deals per year before 2018 to more than 140 deals in 2025, a roughly 15-fold increase in less than a decade.
